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Bentley designer hints at even faster Continental GT3-R

Does Bentley have room in its Continental GT lineup for an even more extreme version than the new GT3-R? Luc Donckerwolke seems to think so. Speaking with Autocar, the Bentley design chief suggested that an even more performance-focused Continental GT could be in the works, potentially ditching the heavy all-wheel drive system in an effort to further reduce weight, improve handling and drop even more ticks off the 0-60 time that's already down to a best-yet 3.6 seconds in the GT3-R.
To borrow a page from the same playbook used not only by sister-companies Audi and Porsche but also by Renault and Jaguar (to name just a few), we'll tentatively call it the Continental GT3-RS. Whatever the name, though, power would likely come from an even more potent version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 co-developed with sister-company Audi. Considering that engine already produces 500 horsepower in the Continental GT V8, 521 hp in the V8 S and 572 hp in the GT3-R, we could be looking at as much as 600 horses to make it the most powerful V8 model to date. With that much juice, it would even eclipse some of the W12 models that start at 567 hp in the core Continental GT and range up to the 616 hp in the Speed, which currently ranks not only as the most powerful Conti yet, but also the fastest road car Bentley has ever made.
Donckerwolke says that Bentley has already sold the entire production run for the Continental GT3-R and that customers are already clamoring for something more focused. Younger buyers are likely to be even further drawn to the brand by the ne-plus-ultra Conti, especially if the racing team advanced from its current fifth place in the Blancpain Endurance Series standings.

Bentley teases new Flying Spur before Geneva debut

Last time we saw the 2014 Bentley Continental Flying Spur out testing, our only questions about the new car regarded its rear-end styling, and when the car would debut. Well now we know for certain that the car will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, and we're also getting a better idea of what the car will look like thanks to Bentley releasing a brief teaser video.
The easiest-to-spot detail that we see in this Flying Spur video is the car's horizontal taillights - the first such on a Bentley since the 1990s. We can also see that this hyper-luxury sedan will get a more squared-off front end than its Continental GT counterpart. But, from what we can tell, it will receive a similarly laid out interior, including the three-spoke steering wheel.
Scroll down to watch the video, and we've also attached the single-sentence press release in which Bentley promises to reveal more details about the car on February 20.

2022 Bentley Flying Spur gets more standard features

Adding more standard features tends to be something we see with more affordable vehicles during model year changes. It's a way to add more value and tempt buyers. The Bentley Flying Spur on the other hand, has a lot more to entice buyers than its standard feature list. Nevertheless, Bentley has updated the 2022 model with a number of now included items that make the nearly $200,000 sedan more attractive. All of the features are relatively minor convenience items. They include auto-dimming mirrors, surround-view camera, traffic sign recognition, hands-free trunk opening, welcome lighting and air ionizers for keeping the cabin clear of dust and such. For the price of a Flying Spur, it's a little surprising some of these features weren't already standard, but it's better late than never. Bentley has also introduced two new customization options. For the exterior, the Flying Spur is now available in Cambrian Grey, shown at the top of the post, which brings the color option total to 63. Inside, Bentley now offers open-pore wood veneers. To achieve the look, Bentley applies a matte lacquer just 0.1 mm in thickness, versus the 0.5-mm thick gloss finish. It's available on Crown Cut Walnut, Dark Burr Walnut and Koa wood veneers. Finally, Bentley did some virtual testing of the interior design that led to some reworking of noise insulation around the cabin. The result, the company claims, is an even quieter interior while driving. Exact timing and pricing haven't been given for the 2022 Flying Spur. We don't expect the base price to change much from the $196,000 of the current Flying Spur V8. It should also be available sometime this year. Related Video: